Iraq to investigate al-Sulaymaniyah arrests

Shafaq News – Baghdad / Al-Sulaymaniyah

An Iraqi security delegation arrived in the Kurdistan Region on Sunday to examine the recent arrests of senior political figures in al-Sulaymaniyah, sources told Shafaq News.

The delegation will remain until August 26, visiting both Erbil and al-Sulaymaniyah. Its mission includes reviewing the circumstances surrounding the arrests, looking into the protection detail of Lahur Sheikh Jangi, and inspecting official Peshmerga rosters to distinguish regular forces from irregular groups.

Clashes broke out earlier between security forces and Sheikh Jangi’s guards after a court issued a warrant for his arrest. He was detained along with his brothers, Polad and Aso, during a raid on his residence at the Lalazar Hotel in Sarchinar.

Sheikh Jangi, who once co-chaired the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), was ousted by Bafel Talabani in 2021 after an internal rift. He later founded the People’s Front (PFP), which won two seats in the 2024 Kurdistan parliamentary elections.

His arrest followed the detention of Shaswar Abdulwahid, leader of the opposition New Generation Movement (Al-Jeel Al-Jadeed), further fueling political tensions in al-Sulaymaniyah.